Stop for folding support frame



Oct. 25, 1960 K. B. IOLANDER ETAL 2,957,736

STOP FOR FOLDING SUPPORT FRAME Filed 001;. 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mHM-h NI HHLLN.

INVENTORS Kzwua B Own/ask By Dawn. J. Mun/801v Irina msrs Oct. 25, 1960QLANDER r 2,957,736

STOP FOR FOLDING SUPPORT FRAME Filed Oct. 15; 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR3 Aznuzl. B. 04 4.1mm

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Afro mvzm STOP FOR FOLDING SUPPORT FRAME Kemuel B. ()land e r and DonaldJ. Munson, Minneapolis,

Minn., assignors to The J. R. Clark Company, Spring Park, Minn., acorporation of Minnesota Filed Oct. 15,1958, Ser. No. 767,369 2 Claims;01. 311-83) This invention relates generally .to table constructionstorage. It is with improvements in this type of unit that the presentinvention is concerned.

j and more particularly-concerns table units of'the type in;-

which a serving tray is supported on a collapsible The principal objectof the invention is to provide a i new and improved serving table unitof the character described wherein the top has fixed spaced connectingmeans for detachable connection with the upper eiids of relativelycollapsible frames, and said leg frames having stop means-.3

or stand structure having a top detachably connected to cross members ofa pair of leg frames, one of-said cross members being so formed as toprovide a handle means spaced 'from'the top to facilitate detachment ofthe top therefrom. i y

Still another object of the invention is to provide a table structurehaving a pair of intercrossing leg frames pivotally interconnected formovement between erect and collapsed conditions, and having bracingmeans adjacent the pivot to rigidify the pivotal connection when thestructure is in erected condition and to assure proper relativecollapsing movement of the leg frames about the pivot.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a table unit havinga collapsible leg structure formed of a pair of pivotally interconnectedleg frames and having a pivot restricting means on one frame andengageable with the other frame for controlling relative movement of theframes about the pivot, and which means has very limited projection fromthe plane of the frame on which it is mounted to allow the entire legstructure to be collapsed to a relatively flat condition.

The above mentioned and still further objects of the invention will bebrought to light during the course of the following specification,reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the unit in erected condition.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the unit in erected condition.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the unit in collapsed condition.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the pivotal connection betweenthe leg frames at one side of the supporting structure and with thestructure in erected condition.

observed in Fig.2. a

to firmly grip the cross bar 16 while the clips 12 on the Patented Oct.25, 1960 ICC , on the underside of rim portions 11 at each end of thetray.

i A pair of leg frames 14 and 15, each having an inverted generalU-shape, serves as a supporting leg struc ture for the tray. Frame 14has a straight transversely extending bight portion or cross bar 16 atits upper end interconnecting a pair of parallel legs 17 which extenddiagonally downward under the tray. The other frame 15 has a cross bar18 at its upper end interconnecting a pair ofparallel legs 19 .whichextend diagonally downward under the tray. Theleg's 19 pass closely bythe legs 17 at each side of the structure in inter-crossing relation andare pivotally interconnected thereto at their points of crossing bypivot pins 20.

ly and. spaced from pivots 20 equidistant with the cross bar 16 so as tobe disposed at the same elevation as the latter. The portion 22 ofmember 18 intermediate the end portions 21 is' offset downwardlytherefrom as best The clip means 12 at one end of the tray are adaptedopposing portion of flange 11 'are adapted to' grip'the .end portions 21of the member 18. When the tray is so mounted on the leg frames thecentral portion 22 of the cross bar 18 will be spaced downwardly belowthe flange 11 and the bottom of the tray 10 to serve as a handle meansfor gripping the bar. I

Clips 12. are U-shaped in cross section with resilient legs havingsufficient relative compressive bias to secure- "1y grip the members 16and 1 8so that the leg frames will be carried with the tray when it islifted. However, when positive vertical separating force is exertedbetween the tray and cross bars 16 or 18, the clips can be made torelease their frictional grip on the bars for removal of the tray fromthe leg fames.

A stop member designated generally at 24 is mounted on each leg 19adjacent the pivot pin 20. The construction of this member may be bestunderstood by reference to Figs. 4 through 6. The member 24 has asemi-tubular body portion 25 adapted to fit securely against thecylindrical surface of leg 17 between the legs 17 and 19. Portion 25 isapertured to receive the pivot pin 20. The longi tudinal edges of thestop member are bent laterally outward to form stops 26 at each side ofthe member. These stops project laterally on planes parallel to thepivot axis into the path of swinging movement of the adjacent leg 19 andare provided with semi-circular stop flanges 27 adapted to peripherallyengage and firmly seat the leg 19. The stops 26 on each member 24 arespaced above and below the pivot and are respectively disposed betweenthe legs 17 and 19 above and below the pivot. Accordingly, the upperflange 27 will engage leg 17 above the pivot and lower flange 27 W11engage leg 17 below the pivot to limit movement of the cross members 16and 18 toward each other. The stop flanges 27 are so positioned toengage the leg 17 with the members 16 and 18 properly spaced to receivethe clips 12.

The lower end portions of the legs 17 and 19 may be angled downwardly asat 28 and 29 respectively to allow placement of the pivot 20 above thelongitudinal centers of the legs without extending the legs beyond thelimits of the tray 10. The bottom ends of the legs are capped byfriction tips 30 of rubber or the like.

engage the leg 17. The cross bars 16 and 18 are now automatically spacedfor reception of the cross bar portions 21 in the clips 12 at thecorresponding end of the tray. The tray may thus be readily engaged withthe bar 18 and the unit is ready for use.

The stop member 24 not only limits erectingmovement of the leg frames tothe proper relative position but also serves to strongly brace the pivotpoints of the legs. This is effected by the firm engagement ofsemicircular flanges 27 against legs 17 both above and below the pivotpoint. It is also significant that the stop member is so constructed toprovide double engagement with the other leg without any substantialprojection from the plane of the leg frame on which it is mounted. Thisenables the entire leg structure to be collapsed into a relatively flatcondition without any obstructive or unsightly projections.

When the unit is to be collapsed for storage the operator merelymanually grasps the handle means 22 and presses upwardly with the thumbof the same hand against the underside of the tray forcing the clips 12off of the bar portions 21. At this point the members 24 again serve animportant purpose in that they positively prohibit erroneous collapsingmovement of the leg frames by moving the members 16 and 18 toward eachother, which is a natural but inoperative manner of collapsing this typeof unit. Correct erecting and collapsing operation of the unit isaccordingly assured.

The structure disclosed accordingly economically and effectively carriesout the aforementioned objectives. It is understood that suitablemodifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided suchmodifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.Having now therefore fully illustrated and described our invention, whatwe claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible supporting structure having a pair of straight framesections disposed in parallel planes and interconnected by a pivot pinfor relative folding of the sections about the pin axis on theirrespective planes between an intercrossing erect condition and asubstantially parallel collapsed condition, a stop member mounted on thepin for limiting said relative movement of the sections, the stop memberhaving an elongated channel shaped body portion disposed between thesections and apertured to receive the pivot pin, the body portionextending along one of the sections with the channel walls extendingpartially around the opposite sides of said section away from the othersection above and below the pivot axis to prohibit movement of the stopmember about said axis, said stop member having at least one side edgeportion turned back from the channel wall :to extend into the plane ofmovement of said other section to form a stop to limit relative movementof said other section about the pivot axis, said edge portion lying in aplane which is adjacent and substantially parallel to its connectedchannel wall for edgewise stopping engagement with the other section.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the stop member has stopsformed on both sides thereof for edgewise stopping engagement againstopposite sides of the other section on opposite sides of the pivot axis,said other section being tubular in cross section, and each of saidstops having arcuate stopping edges adapted to engage peripherallyaround opposite sides of said other section when the sections are inerect condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS687,772 Northrup Dec. 3, 1901 907,423 Tilley Dec. 22, 1908 2,514,735Wilson et al. July 11, 1950 2,666,681 Adler Ian. 19, 1954 2,675,286Derman Apr. 13, 1954 2,709,120 Tuttle May 24, 1955 2,793,924 Iohanssonet al. May 28, 1957 2,845,317 Orman July 29, 1958 2,860,022 Kennedy Nov.11, 1958

